North Kawartha has been very generous in its support of the new Medical
Centre, but a new standard was reached in May when Terry and Stephanie Lippert
made a $50,000 donation to the cause. They wanted to express their appreciation
to the community and for the Medical Centre in particular, and chose this
very generous way of expressing their appreciation. Terry and Stephanie,
we thank you very much for your most generous donation. Now, isn't
that a new standard for all those who can and are thinking of giving?

North Kawartha Health Centre is soon to benefit from two way videoconferencing
through NORTH Network’s telemedicine program and The Teleprimary Care Project.
The Teleprimary Care Project links nurse practitioners and their patients
with collaborating physicians and other members of the interdisciplinary
health care team using two-way video conferencing and medical peripheral
devices. NORTH Network provides the leadership for the Project, which is
funded through the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s Primary Health
Care Transition Fund. Teleprimary Care uses the latest telediagnostic instruments
– including digital stethoscopes, patient examination cameras, endoscopic
equipment and digital imaging facilities – to examine and prescribe treatment
so that a remote patient can “visit” their physician from their home community
rather than having to travel. This technology has also been used to conduct
patient consultations and education in cardiology, geriatrics, psychiatry,
pediatrics, dermatology, general surgery and many other specialties.

NORTH Network collaborated with Dr. Garry Humphreys, Medical Officer
of Health for the Peterborough County-City Health Unit to bring this high
tech equipment to North Kawartha. Dr. Humphreys was aware of this technology
being utilized in the remote and rural areas of Ontario and spoke to the
Ministry of Health, suggesting that it would be a great service for areas
such as Apsley, Keene and Havelock. NORTH Network developed and submitted
the proposal for the Teleprimary Care Project to the Ministry of Health and
the rest is history. We now have this technology installed in the North Kawartha
Health Centre. The Ministry of Health has provided funding for NORTH Network
and the Peterborough County City Health Unit to purchase the equipment, conduct
the installation, and to provide ongoing maintenance and support. NORTH Network
staff will be training Dr. Rayes and his Staff on the use of this videoconferencing
technology in the very near future.

As Dr. Rayes supports two Nurse Practitioners in the Village of Keene,
he will be able to see some patients without having to leave his office!
Through NORTH Network, Dr. Rayes and his Staff will be able to access continuing
education.

In the future, Dr Rayes will be able to refer his patients to specialists
using telemedicine without the patient ever having to leave Dr. Rayes’
Office. The Specialist will be able to communicate to the patient and Dr.
Rayes as well as being able to observe him or her on the video monitor.
The Specialist will then be able to provide immediate advice to Dr. Rayes
and the patient for possible further treatment. Patients at the North Kawartha
Health Centre and their families will be able to reduce the number of expensive,
time-consuming and sometimes, due to adverse weather conditions, hazardous
trips they must take to receive specialized medical care. Dr. Rayes anticipates
that this service will be available to our Community sometime in the fall.

A special thank you from the residents of our Community to Dr. Garry
Humphreys for being instrumental in bringing this high tech service to
North Kawartha. For more information, visit www.northnetwork.com.